Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers

The first book specifically for daughters suffering from the emotional abuse of selfish, self-involved mothers, Will I Ever Be Good Enough? provides the expert assistance you need in order to overcome this debilitating history and reclaim your life for yourself.

Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship

Explaining that an impaired capacity for connection to self and to others underlies most psychological and many physiological problems, clinicians Laurence Heller, PhD, and Aline LaPierre, PsyD, introduce the NeuroAffective Relational ModelTM (NARM), a unified approach to developmental, attachment, and shock trauma that emphasizes working in the present moment. NARM is a somatically based psychotherapy that helps bring into awareness the parts of self that are disorganized and dysfunctional.

Healing the Shame That Binds You

Healing the Shame That Binds You is the most enduring work of family relationship expert and New York Times best-selling author John Bradshaw. In it, he shows how unhealthy toxic shame, often learned young and maintained into adulthood, is the core component in our compulsions, co-dependencies, addictions and drive to superachieve.

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

Letting Go describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to enlightenment and become free of negativity. During the many decades of the author's clinical psychiatric practice, the primary aim was to seek the most effective ways to relieve human suffering in all of its many forms. The inner mechanism of surrender was found to be of great practical benefit and is described in this book.

The Emotionally Absent Mother: A Guide to Self-Healing and Getting the Love You Missed

Was your mother too busy, too tired, or too checked out to provide you with the nurturing you needed as a child? Men and women who were "undermothered" as children often struggle with intimate relationships, in part because of their unmet need for maternal care.

It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle

As a pioneer in the field of inherited family trauma, Mark Wolynn has worked with individuals and groups on a therapeutic level for over 20 years. It Didn't Start with You offers a pragmatic and prescriptive guide to his method, the Core Language Approach. Diagnostic self-inventories provide a way to uncover the fears and anxieties conveyed through everyday words, behaviors, and physical symptoms.

The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effects of Hurtful Parenting

Never before has world-renowned psychoanalyst Alice Miller examined so persuasively the long-range consequences of childhood abuse on the body. Using the experiences of her patients along with the biographical stories of literary giants such as Virginia Woolf, Franz Kafka, and Marcel Proust, Miller shows how a child's humiliation, impotence, and bottled rage will manifest itself as adult illness - be it cancer, stroke, or other debilitating diseases.

Healing Trauma Through Self-Parenting: The Co-Dependency Connection

Self-healing through self-parenting, a concept introduced a generation ago, has helped thousands of adult children of alcoholics who are codependent and have conflicts in their primary relationships. Now Patricia O'Gorman, PhD, and Phil Diaz, MSW, authors of the classic book The 12 Steps to Self-Parenting for Adult Children and its companion workbook, expand the reach of that successful healing paradigm to anyone who has suffered from any kind of trauma.

It Wasn't Your Fault: Freeing Yourself From the Shame of Childhood Abuse with the Power of Self-Compassion

Shame is one of the most destructive of human emotions. If you suffered childhood physical or sexual abuse, you may experience such intense feelings of shame that it almost seems to define you as a person. In order to begin healing, it's important for you to know that it wasn't your fault. In this gentle guide, therapist and childhood abuse expert Beverly Engel presents a mindfulness and compassion-based therapeutic approach to help you overcome the debilitating shame that keeps you tied to the past.

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth about Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power

Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we're all in this together.

Psychotherapy works through dialogue between the therapist and client-but what if you could have an effective healing dialogue with yourself? "Because our minds are actually a home to many sub-personalities," Dr. Jay Earley explains, "we have the ability to heal ourselves by engaging directly with the each of our parts." With Self-Therapy, Dr. Earley offers a complete audio training course in a revolutionary therapy called Internal Family Systems (IFS), a powerful psychological tool for finding freedom from chronic emotional issues such as depression and anxiety, and creating internal harmony where the aspects of your psyche are working together for your well-being.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

In 1957, four years before his death, Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist and psychologist, began writing his life story. But what started as an exercise in autobiography soon morphed into an altogether more profound undertaking.

Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect

Do you sometimes feel as if you're just going through the motions in life? Are you good at looking and acting as if you're fine, but secretly feel lonely and disconnected? If so, you are not alone. The world is full of people who have an innate sense that something is wrong with them - who feel they live on the outside looking in, but have no explanation for this feeling and no way to put it into words.

Rethinking Narcissism: The Bad - and Surprising Good - About Feeling Special

In Rethinking Narcissism listeners will learn that there's far more to narcissism than its reductive invective would imply. The truth is that narcissists (all of us) fall on a spectrum somewhere between utter selflessness on the one side and arrogance and grandiosity on the other. A healthy middle exhibits a strong sense of self.

Dark psychology is one of the most powerful forces at work in the world today. It is used by the most powerful influencers the world has ever known. Those who are unaware of it risk having it used against them. Don't run that risk!

The Therapeutic Relationship: Transference, Countertransference, and the Making of Meaning (Carolyn and Ernest Fay Series in Analytical Psychology)

While C. G. Jung had a natural intuitive understanding of the transference and countertransference, his lack of a "coherent method and clinical technique for working with transference and his ambivalence and mercurial attitude to matters of method," have, in the words of therapist and Jungian scholar Jan Wiener, sometimes left Jungians who are eager to hone their knowledge and skills in this area "floundering and confused."

Codependence: The Dance of Wounded Souls: A Cosmic Perspective of Codependence and the Human Condition

This is the sixth printing of a Joyously inspirational book has been called "one of the truly transformational works of our time." Author Robert Burney has been referred to as "a metaphysical Stephen Hawking" - and his work has been compared to John Bradshaw's "except much more spiritual" and described as "taking inner child healing to a new level."

Shame & Guilt: Masters of Disguise

"It is my feeling that debilitating shame and guilt are at the root of all dysfunctions in families," says Jane Middelton-Moz. A few common characteristics of adults shamed in childhood: You may suffer extreme shyness, embarrassment and feelings of being inferior to others. You don't believe you make mistakes, you believe you are a mistake. You feel controlled from the outside and from within. You feel that normal spontaneous expression is blocked. You may suffer from debilitating guilt; you apologize constantly.

Bradshaw On: The Family: A New Way of Creating Solid Self-Esteem

Based on the public television series of the same name, Bradshaw On: The Family is John Bradshaw's seminal work on the dynamics of families that has sold more than a million copies since its original publication in 1988. Here, you will discover the cause of emotionally impaired families. You will learn how unhealthy rules of behavior are passed down from parents to children, and the destructive effect this process has on our society.

The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife

Author James Hollis' eloquent reading provides the listener with an accessible and yet profound understanding of a universal condition - or what is commonly referred to as the mid-life crisis. The book shows how we may travel this Middle Passage consciously, thereby rendering our lives more meaningful and the second half of life immeasurably richer.

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

Waking the Tiger offers a new and hopeful vision of trauma. It views the human animal as a unique being, endowed with an instinctual capacity. It asks and answers an intriguing question: Why are animals in the wild, though threatened routinely, rarely traumatized? By understanding the dynamics that make wild animals virtually immune to traumatic symptoms, the mystery of human trauma is revealed.

Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families

Have you ever heard of your inner child? Well, this is the classic book that started it all. In 1987, Charlie Whitfield's breakthrough concept of the child within - that part of us which is truly alive, energetic, creative. and fulfilled - launched the inner child movement. Healing the Child Within describes how the inner child is lost to trauma and loss, and how by recovering it, we can heal the fear, confusion and unhappiness of adult life.

Drugged: The Science and Culture Behind Psychotropic Drugs

In Drugged, Miller takes listeners on an eye-opening tour of psychotropic drugs, describing the various kinds, how they were discovered and developed, and how they have played multiple roles in virtually every culture. Drugged brims with surprises, revealing the fact that antidepressant drugs evolved from rocket fuel, highlighting the role of hallucinogens in the history of religion, and asking whether Prozac can help depressed cats. Entertaining and authoritative, Drugged is a truly fascinating book.

Publisher's Summary

In this compelling book, the authors present an innovative therapeutic model for understanding and treating adults from emotionally abusive or neglectful families - families the authors call narcissistic. Narcissistic families have a parental system that is, for whatever reason (job stress, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness, physical disability, lack of parenting skills, self-centered immaturity), primarily involved in getting its own needs met. The children in such narcissistic family systems try to earn love, attention, and approval by satisfying their parents' needs, thus never developing the ability to recognize their own needs or create strategies for getting them met. By outlining the theoretical framework of their model and using dozens of illustrative clinical examples, the authors clearly illuminate specific practice guidelines for treating these individuals.

About the authors: Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman is a therapist, consultant, and trainer. She is known for her work with dysfunctional families, particularly with survivors of incest. Robert M. Pressman is the editor-in-chief and president of the Joint Commission for the Development of the Treatment and Statistical Manual for Behavioral and Mental Disorders.

... I had no idea that there were others who could, not only understand what I went through as a child... & even now, but who could put it words & explain the actual issues. I'm overwhelmed with the hope that I'm not alone & I am so grateful to know that there is help! This book is a God send to my family! Thank you!!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Pamela

LITTLETON, CO, United States

07/04/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very Helpful"

Would you listen to The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment again? Why?

yes, i could relate to many of the stories and see my own situation and the book helped me to accept my own (Lack Of) relationship with my parents.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the variety of examples and the way in which they were told.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

i was more at peace after reading this book and more able to let go of the "fantasy" of family that i had carried with me for so many years...thinking it could be "fixed" if only i could "fix it"... i am more prepared to just "let it be."

Any additional comments?

i would recommend this book to anyone who has has emotionally abusive parent (s)

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Ali

LEBANON, OHIO, United States

27/09/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"this book is a fortune"

Would you listen to The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment again? Why?

YES,there are so much to learn about the human being behavior & the unconscious motivations for that behavior in this book.

What about Karen White’s performance did you like?

clarity of her voice

Any additional comments?

great book for the social workers & clinical therapists and the psychologists

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

chris

ipswich, MA, United States

23/08/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Absolutely the WORST narration I have ever heard!"

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I am visually impaired and can not "read" this book-if you can, avoid the torture of the narration and do it!

I am four chapters into the book and find the information interesting. I want desperately to continue listening but find the narration absolutely painful to listen to. I read the posted reviews before I bought the book and a reviewer wrote a great deal about the poor narration. I thought "It can't possibly be THAT bad!" Well, it can-and it is almost unbearable. This is an academic book and the narrator has added sighs and irritation into lines that are supposed to be coming from a therapist. Throughout most of the book the words are disjointed and robotic. It sounds like a "type to talk" communication device for the disabled. I need the information being provided but I may have to look for a different version from another vendor because I don't think I can stand this for another 5.5 hours. Finally. to the previous reviewer who warned me-I wish I had listened!

What did you like best about this story?

Good information on the subject being presented.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Karen White?

ANYONE!!!!! Although in fairness, part of the problem is the disjointed recording,

Was The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment worth the listening time?

I don't know if I will get through the book listening to this narrator, The book may be good-but no amount of knowledge may be worth the audio pain I am experiencing.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Anat

07/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Interesting for a general understanding."

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator. I wasn't as bothered by her intonation as some of the other reviewers, but it bothered me enough that I chose to skip another audiobook when I saw her name.The book itself is fine.

Would you ever listen to anything by Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman and Robert M. Pressman again?

Yes, maybe.

What didn’t you like about Karen White’s performance?

Some of the same things mentioned by others here -- though her voice is pleasant, I found the intonation/inflection very unnatural and robotic, to the extent that it became distracting. I also felt like the narrator injected a mild tone of annoyance into the text in some places where it was a bit odd to do so, although that was a much milder issue for me.

Any additional comments?

If you are new to this subject, this book will probably be a decent start and give you a sense of validation, which can be a lot. However, I wouldn't expect to be enlightened if you are familiar with the basics (whether through personal experience or general knowledge). If you approach it with a realistic set of expectations, it's an interesting text and worth the time.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

B Sutton

Brooklyn, NY

03/10/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Just one long 7 hour file; narrator sounds robotic"

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Separate track listings. Better narration.

What didn’t you like about Karen White’s performance?

Narration for this book sounded automated, like it was made with voice rendering software. Once in a while I'd hear something human, like breathing and a natural, flowing voice, but most of the time the cadence sounded completely artificial and inhuman. It's very difficult to listen to a 7-hour audiobook like this, and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to make it.

Any additional comments?

Not worth the $19.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

jeremy

United States

04/03/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great book"

Really well thought out and researched book. Narration was great and would recommend this book to anybody with relationship problems.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

RLS

08/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Eye opening"

Great! Insightful, informative and quite possibly lifechanging! I will listen to this again and again as it was very comforting to me to realize exactly why my FOO operates how it does. adult relates to w engrained into me.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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